Harpenden Town have identified four managers that they want to talk to about taking the club forward – although chairman Roman Motyczak admits Danny Plumb will be an incredibly hard act to follow.
The outgoing Plumb ended his nine-year association with the Rothamsted Park club on Saturday, a 1-0 win over Edgware Town bringing the curtain down on a successful career that has seen him in the manager’s chair for the last five seasons.
And as he announced his departure a couple of weeks ago it has given the club a head start in their pursuit of his successor.
But the chairman will always be in debt to the former boss.
“I was lucky to inherit Danny,” admitted Motyczak. “When I got involved five years ago, I didn’t know where to start as chairman of a non-league football club, I didn’t know what it meant.
“It was a strange world to be involved in but he helped.
“He’s a huge act to follow. He knows his football intimately and he cares.
“He’s so passionate about the club and really wants the best for us.
“It’s a huge loss to the club, there’s no denying that. It’ll be tough to replace a man with all that experience and coaching ability, and one who is level-headed and a good guy too.”
After winning promotion in 2017 Harpenden enjoyed a superb season in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division last time out, finishing the campaign in third.
This year hasn’t gone as well but a strong second-half, and Charlie Gould’s volleyed winner in the game at home to Edgware, saw them place 14th in the season-end table.
That gives the new boss a solid foundation to build on in the season ahead.
Motyczak said: “We’re hoping to get it sorted within the next week. We wanted to do it early, we would have liked to have done it by the end of the season but we need to do it as quickly as we can.
“We’ve got a shortlist of four at the moment, one with strong connections to the club and a couple we don’t know.”
Jake Davis took the young player award while Archie McClelland’s goals, which Plumb said were crucial in Town’s good run after the festive period, earned him the players’ player.
Matt Sutton was honoured by the boss with his final manager’s player of the year award.
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